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OXO recently redesigned our plastic cutting board pick. We have tested them and still recommend them.
OXO recently redesigned our plastic cutting board pick. We have tested them and still recommend them.
The redesigned board has larger grooves and pouring spouts and is slightly thinner than the old board, but performed the same in our tests.
A good cutting board is the workhorse of any kitchen. Most importantly, it should be large, provide ample space for carving or felling, and be relatively easy to take care of. We found that plastic OXO Good Grips engraving and cutting boards and Proteak Edge Grain rectangular engraving boards with handles in wood Teakhaus are best for most people. Both boards feel good under the knife, and they can withstand many sharp cuts, dark stains, and strong odors better than their competitors. In addition, after years of long-term testing, neither circuit board cracked or severely deformed due to misuse.
We spent more than 150 hours of research interviewing chefs and material experts, chopped up a large amount of agricultural products, and used and abused nearly 30 chopping boards to reach our conclusions. Both boards feel good under the knife and can withstand many sharp cuts, dark stains and strong odors better than the competition. In addition, neither of these two boards have been split or severely distorted due to abuse.
This plastic board is more resistant to warpage, staining and odor than other plastic boards we tested. Rubber feet keep it still, and the juice tank does an excellent job of collecting liquids.
*At the time of publication, the price was $28.
The OXO Good Grips engraving and cutting board is large enough for most shredding and engraving tasks, easy to clean, and designed with rubber feet on both sides to prevent slippage. We were also impressed by the effectiveness of the juice tank in retaining liquid.
This beautiful, environmentally friendly teak board requires more careful cleaning than plastic boards, but it feels better under the knife and is easier to maintain than the other boards we tested.
*At the time of publication, the price was $100.
If you are more interested in cutting boards made of wood, please buy Teakhaus with Proteak Edge Grain rectangular carving boards with handles. Teak is hard enough for smooth cutting, but not so hard that it will dull the blade. Teak is also more resistant to moisture accumulation than other types of wood.
This OXO cutting board is a smaller version of our main plastic pick. Like the large OXO board, it has rubber feet to keep it stable when shredding.
*At the time of publication, the price was $18.
If you have limited counter space in your kitchen or prefer to use a smaller cutting board, we recommend that you buy a smaller version of the plastic pick, which is 10.39 inches x 14.78 inches OXO Good Grips practical cutting boards. It is perfect for simple tasks, such as slicing an apple or chopping a single large carrot. The OXO Utility Board has the same rubber feet as the larger OXO carving boards; they hold the board firmly in place when cutting vegetables. Unlike our main choice, its juice trough cannot hold the water droplets from a whole roast chicken, but it is still useful when chopping a few juicy tomatoes. Like the larger OXO engraving boards we recommend, practical cutting boards are better resistant to warping, staining and strong odors than competitors.
This plastic board is more resistant to warpage, staining and odor than other plastic boards we tested. Rubber feet keep it still, and the juice tank does an excellent job of collecting liquids.
*At the time of publication, the price was $28.
This beautiful, environmentally friendly teak board requires more careful cleaning than plastic boards, but it feels better under the knife and is easier to maintain than the other boards we tested.
*At the time of publication, the price was $100.
This OXO cutting board is a smaller version of our main plastic pick. Like the large OXO board, it has rubber feet to keep it stable when shredding.
*At the time of publication, the price was $18.
In order to better understand how to choose and maintain cutting boards, we interviewed the following experts:
To find the best Kanban to test, we also looked for recommendations from trusted editorial sources such as Serious Eats and The New York Times. We have compiled suggestions from reviewers on our website, as well as comments from Chowhound and ChefTalk forums. We also looked at the best-selling and highest-rated boards on Amazon, CuttingBoard.com, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond.
Michael Sullivan is a senior writer at Wirecutter, who reviewed various kitchen gadgets and equipment. His recent research and testing are based on the work of former Wirecutter senior staff writer Kevin Purdy, who wrote the first version of this guide in 2014. In addition, several Wirecutter staff and Sam Sifton, the founding editor of New York Times Cooking, participated in our test and provided feedback.
Finally, former Wirecutter science editor Leigh Boerner helped us study the materials that make up each board: wood grain and glue, composite resin, and the main types of plastic used for cutting boards.
Cutting boards are essential for any kitchen. Most experts recommend at least two: one for cutting raw or cooked meat, poultry and fish; the other for vegetables, fruits or cooked food. Having multiple plates on hand is especially convenient when preparing large amounts of food for family gatherings or holiday meals.
If beauty is important to you, you can leave a beautiful wooden board on the counter to seamlessly connect from the kitchen to the dining table. For those who want cheap surfaces that are easy to clean and maintain, we recommend that you buy plastic cutting boards.
If you already have a cutting board, but it is warped, heavily stained, or covered with deep gouge marks, then it may be time to upgrade.
You will find wood panels made of many materials, but according to our experts, plastic and wood are best for most kitchens. All of our testers agree that wooden boards feel better under a knife than plastic. When asked what board they most want to cut on, the chefs we talked to tended to choose wood blocks. However, when asked what they would buy for a 22-year-old nephew or niece to move into their first apartment by themselves, each of them replied: “They may be very annoying and replace the plastic panels in two years. "Similar to the boards they received from the restaurant supply store.
Some of our testers hated the appearance of the plastic board and didn't like the way the knife touched the board. Sam Sifton told us during the test, "I don't like noise, nor the way plastics degrade. You can always sand wooden boards, but you can't do it with plastic." In other words, some people may not have room to put a piece at all. Big plank, or maybe want, as Chef Michael Dimmer puts it, a piece they can “leave in the sink overnight, or when (them) someone comes over, no harm is done.”
Plastic is a better surface for preparing raw meat because it is less likely to get dirty and can be washed in the dishwasher. However, as Sam Sifton pointed out during the test, “You are not subject to health regulations in your own home.” You can still use wooden boards to prepare raw meat; they just need to be more diligent when cleaning.
The choice between wood and plastic depends on your cooking and cleaning preferences. The following is a comparison of the two materials:
All of our testers agree that wooden boards feel better under a knife than plastic.
Most experts recommend using a large enough board to chop several ingredients at a time, at least 15 inches on one side. Chad Ward pointed out in An Edge in the Kitchen: "A 15" x 20" cutting board is about the functional limitation of most household sinks... But you need to be as large as possible to prevent things from flowing onto the countertop." Sushi Chef Ken Legnon agreed, but said that 16 x 22 inches is his favorite size.
There are two styles of wood planks, end texture and edge texture, and we have considered these two styles in this guide. End-grain boards are made of many board ends glued together. They can be gentler on the knife because the edges slide between the vertical wood fibers. Incisions and other marks tend to close more effectively and repair themselves over time, but the exposed ends also make the stencils more susceptible to drying, soiling, and cracking. Edged boards (such as our Proteak pick) are glued together with alternating strips from the sides of the board, with the sides (edges) facing upwards. These boards tend to be harder on the knife edge than the end-grain boards, but they are also better able to withstand moisture cracking and splitting, and are easier to clean. (This image is a good illustration of the difference between end and edge texture.)
For our original guide, we tested several types of wood boards — including maple, cherry, walnut, and Japanese cypress — but we only considered teak wood in the 2018 update. After years of testing on cutting boards, we have found that cutting boards made of teak have better moisture resistance than other types of wood and require less oil.
Most plastic cutting boards are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP), and sometimes a proprietary blend of polyethylene and polypropylene. A very brief version of the difference between the two polymers is that polypropylene is harder but more brittle, while polyethylene, especially high-density polyethylene, is softer but more flexible. We tested polyethylene and polypropylene sheets for this guide.
We have also studied composite materials and other materials: composite panels essentially consist of baking and pressing multiple layers of Richlite together. They are food safe and easy to maintain, but the blade is usually very hard. Granite and glass plates are very hard and can dull the blade.
We look for plastic and wooden boards with grooves around to collect the juices of grilled meat and ripe tomatoes. Remember, the juice tank can only do so much. If you are carving succulent roasts, we still recommend placing absorbent towels under the grooved wooden boards.
We avoid using plastic plates with handles cut into the sides because it reduces the available shredding surface area. We look for thicker boards with finger grooves on the side, which makes them easier to pick up and transport.
The best wooden boards can be placed firmly and will not slide on the countertop. "What you want is to use your knife to move easily, not a board," said Chef Boy, who thinks many of our test boards are too light. Heavier boards move less, but may also be difficult to move for cleaning or storage. Plastic boards tend to be more squirrels because they are thinner and lighter than wooden boards. In our latest round of testing, we looked for plastic plates with gripping feet or frames on the perimeter to keep them more stable.
If you plan to put it on the counter, the appearance of the board is most important. But the feel of the board under the knife and the ease with which it is cleaned and stored are more important.
Finally, we found that shape, function, and feel can guide the choice of a good cutting board more than strictly focusing on blade retention. The impact of one type of plastic board on your blade is very small and will be offset by many other factors: acid, interactions with different foods, and other kitchen events. This is of course considered-one of our chef experts pays special attention to it-but if you sharpen (and steel) your chef's knife frequently, any cutting board we consider will not cause you to lose in the process of preparing dinner Your blade.
After years of research, we have tested nearly 30 wood, plastic, composite and rubber sheets that meet our standards. We discard products that are too small, too large, or too thick for most kitchens, or that are difficult to locate and purchase reliably.
For our original guide, we tested all the boards in an edited kitchen in turn over four months for daily cooking. In our recent update, we invited several Wirecutter employees with different cooking experiences to participate in our test. We also invited Sam Sifton, the food editor of The New York Times (Wirecutter's parent company), to test each of our top competitors and give us his ideas.
We recorded the performance of each board in a specific test. We checked whether they fit a standard dishwasher, a semi-standard (15 x 20 inch) sink, or a separate 15 x 15 inch sink. We noticed whether the board was stained or retained the smell after letting the beet juice and garlic paste stand for 30 minutes. We also cut carrots, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, apples and various citrus fruits, paying attention to the sound and feel of the wooden boards, and whether they have scars. In order to check the healing of the plank after using a heavy knife, we cut the crusty bread with a serrated knife. We also noticed the extent to which each board slipped over the countertop, regardless of whether towels were placed or not.
This plastic board is more resistant to warpage, staining and odor than other plastic boards we tested. Rubber feet keep it still, and the juice tank does an excellent job of collecting liquids.
*At the time of publication, the price was $28.
OXO Good Grips carving and cutting boards are the best plastic cutting boards for most tasks. Its 14.34 x 21.11 inches size is enough to easily chop several vegetables for mirepoix or carve 12-pound turkey. In our tests, the juice tank on the OXO board can hold an astonishing amount of liquid-an additional benefit when cutting tomatoes or slicing roasts. Compared with other plastic boards lacking this useful function, the gripping feet on the side of the board can be better fixed in place.
OXO made some minor adjustments to the engraving and cutting board in January 2020. The redesigned plate is 0.2 mm thinner and has a slightly wider juice channel with a pouring spout. The sides of the grip also have slightly different shapes, but these changes have not affected the performance of the board. We haven't tried the beet and garlic tests on the new board, but a representative of OXO confirmed that the material of the redesigned board is the same as the material on the old version we initially tested in 2017. In our previous tests, OXO did an excellent job of resisting stains and odors. We also cut the two versions of the circuit board side by side, but did not find any difference.
The OXO board provides plenty of space for almost all the shredding and slicing tasks you want to complete in the kitchen. Our testers have enough space for shredding, even if there are several ingredients stacked on the board. The juice tank on the board can hold about half a cup of liquid, which is an impressive amount compared to the other boards we tested. Please keep in mind that the OXO plate is not suitable for some dishwashers unless it is turned at an angle. However, if you prefer to use a smaller cutting board that can be installed in the dishwasher without problems, we also recommend the 10.35 x 14.78 inch OXO Good Grips practical cutting board. The board is also sold in two other sizes: 8.93 x 12.89 inch daily cutting board and mini 7.23 x 10.75 inch prep board. We think these smaller plates are best for simple tasks such as cutting apples or cutting lemon wedges, but they are not suitable for cutting vegetables to prepare meals.
The OXO board is made of a harder and smoother material (polypropylene) with a slight marble pattern on the surface, which can hold the chef's knife firmly. When using it for the first time, the board feels a bit slippery under the knife and will not cause the blade to slip. However, after multiple uses, the surface becomes slightly scarred and allows better traction, thus preventing the blade from slipping. Due to its surprisingly light size, we found that it is also easy to handle and store. Most of our testers think it looks more professional and decent than the other plastic boards we tested.
The rubber feet on both sides of the board can hold it in place when cutting vegetables. In other words, if you are going to perform a lot of felling, we still recommend placing a thick towel under the board to increase stability.
All OXO products are covered by the Satisfaction Guarantee, which stipulates that if you are not satisfied, you can return them for any reason.
Negative reviews mainly solve two problems: non-slip, only rubber feet when using the board, no towel underneath, and knife scars. Our own tests have seen scars on OXO boards under hundreds of knife marks, but the same is true for any board.
Your knife won't dig out plastic on most ribs and slices, but if the blade falls on the board particularly hard, it can lock in place, just like cutting on a rail. This is a small problem that happens once in a while, but this is what our testers experienced. The OXO board is also louder than our wooden pick, especially if you don't put a thick towel or rag under it.
After more than three years of long-term testing on the old version of OXO board, although it has never been placed in the dishwasher, its bending degree exceeded our expectations. However, since professionals recommend replacing the plastic board after two years, we don't think that the very slight bending of the board will ruin the transaction.
This beautiful, environmentally friendly teak board requires more careful cleaning than plastic boards, but it feels better under the knife and is easier to maintain than the other boards we tested.
*At the time of publication, the price was $100.
For wood options, we strongly recommend the eye-catching and exquisite Teakhaus by Proteak Edge Grain Rectangle Carving Board with Hand Grip. Made from sustainably harvested teak, it feels better under the knife than most other boards we tested. It stays in place with minimal help, but it is not too heavy for you to move it easily. Teakhaus also requires less maintenance than most boards, but it is still more susceptible to moisture and stains than plastic. For those who have the counter space and the patience of oiling every other month, we think this board will be a valuable asset in your kitchen.
In each test, Teakhaus allowed the use of a sharp knife for smooth motion, parallel to and against the texture. Teak is hard enough for clean cuts, but still soft enough to keep the knife sharp. The blade of the bamboo board we tested was too hard, while others, such as the cypress board we tried, were too soft. Sushi chef Ken Legnon agrees: "It's durable, but it still helps maintain the advantage over the long term."
Teak is more effective at resisting moisture than the most common cutting board material, so it requires less oil. In fact, teak has been used in the shipbuilding industry for more than 2,000 years due to its excellent moisture resistance. It is "the gold standard of (rot) resistance". Its 2.0 shrinkage (T/R) is approximately the lowest of all woods considered hard enough to be used as cutting boards. This may be why the teak house looks better than the maple we picked from Boos after months of working in the kitchen.
The 15-inch x 20-inch Teakhaus board is 1.5 inches thick and weighs 12 pounds, so there is almost no movement on most counters. Even just sliding one or two layers of wet wipes underneath can eliminate any slight movement. (If stability without towels is more important to you than reversibility, you can easily glue some rubber feet to this board.) The Teakhaus board has grooves at the end, which is strangely shallow and unfinished, but it does Helps to lift the board. Plates of the same size can also have juice channels on one side. For big jobs like carving a Thanksgiving turkey, we recommend a larger 24 x 18 inch version of this board, which also has a juice pipe to catch dripping water.
Each Teakhaus board is different, even more so than maple boards, and each board will become richer in color over time. Chef Jennifer Boye was quickly attracted by this unique pattern and recommended it as her preferred wood. One of our testers called it a "very luxurious circuit board." Sam Sifton agreed, saying it was "very good." Since it has been dyed, smeared, cut and slightly abused, the center of the wood did not show a lighter, more worn appearance like the Boos board we tested. It just got some marks here and there.
Teak is more effective at resisting moisture than the most common cutting board material, so it requires less oil.
Teakhaus’s parent company, Proteak, provides a wealth of information about the wood it uses: planting, logging, carbon policy, and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. In fact, according to its website, Proteak manages six FSC certificates in "Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States in compliance with the highest sustainable forestry standards." Proteak's timber is not particularly from Myanmar (Myanmar), where human rights violations have led some countries to ban the import of Burmese teak.
Teakhaus provides a one-year "workmanship and material defect" warranty for its products, but does not include "damage caused by negligence or misuse of the product"-this is a very standard warranty for wooden cutting boards. If you need a refund or replacement, please contact Teakhaus.
The biggest drawback of any wood board is the need for maintenance and careful use of liquids to avoid warping, cracking and splitting.
Teak is more resistant to moisture than most woods, but if possible, you should avoid letting liquids stay on the board for more than a few minutes. After finishing the cut, wipe the circuit board with warm soapy water, but do not immerse the circuit board in a water tank full of water. And you have to oil the circuit board-about once a month, or if the circuit board becomes "thirsty", you need more (more on the maintenance and maintenance section below).
In addition to the need for maintenance, the main disadvantage of the Teakhaus board is the shallow handle slot, which only allows you to stick your fingertips into the board. However, since the handle slot still provides a good grip, we don't think this is a deal breaker.
For more than three years, we have been using the Teakhaus board in the Wirecutter test kitchen, and despite neglecting that we should often oil it, it has not deformed. It is our favorite board for large cutting or engraving tasks.
Whenever possible, use a dishwasher to sterilize plastic plates, especially after handling meat. Use the delicate/economic settings of the dishwasher or set a timer to pull out the plate during the drying cycle to prevent the plate from warping. If a dishwasher is not available, experts recommend scrubbing hard with soapy water under fast-flowing water.
For wood planks, Chad Ward's An Edge in the Kitchen offers two cleaning techniques, if you need more than quick, soapy wiping and drying after shredding:
To avoid cracking or warping, never leave liquid on the board.
Teakhaus provides a variety of cleaning techniques for its boards, including undiluted vinegar, hydrogen peroxide solution and bleach. However, Ward advises against using bleach, and after seeing how the bleach dries and discolors, so did the Boos boards we tested.
To avoid cracking or warping, never leave liquid on the board (don't even consider immersing it in a sink!). "When we do long-term wood testing, when we want our products to fail? We put them underwater," then the project director of the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Minnesota-Duluth (now the U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory) Said Brian Brashaw of the project manager. "Water is the enemy of your wood."
Oiling and sanding the boards:
There is no timetable for oiling the boards, just like there is no timetable for watering the plants-it depends on the environment in which you store the boards. When we asked our wood experts, chefs and Chad Ward how often they oiled the boards, the general answer was "less frequently than I should." Teakhaus recommends oiling every two weeks. We think that every month is a wise middle ground for Teakhaus, adding some elegance in the wetter summer months. But if it looks thirsty, there is absolutely no harm in oiling your circuit board.
Another way to determine whether your plank needs oil is to simply sprinkle some water on the plank with your fingertips, as suggested by J. Kenji López-Alt of the Food Lab. Like a waxed car, the water should bead up and appear to float on a well-oiled board. If you see the water disperse or seem to seep into the wood, please give it more oil. For more tips on cutting board maintenance—including how to clean, oil, sand, and repair warped boards—check out our video on the subject.
The thick polyethylene hay cutting board feels great under the knife and comes in various interesting colors, but unfortunately it deforms in the dishwasher and fades after scrubbing by hand. It also has gripping feet on one side of the board to prevent you from shredding on both sides. We believe that if you wish to put a colored board on the counter for occasional light use, this is a good choice, but we do not recommend using it for preparing dinner every night. It is also very expensive for things that will inevitably need to be replaced in a few years.
We were disappointed to find that Material Kitchen's thin ReBoard works out of the box. According to the manufacturer, it is made of 75% recycled plastic and 25% sugar cane. In our tests, its blade felt harder than OXO. It also has a large hole in one corner for suspension, which reduces the available board space. And it has no grip on the sides to prevent the board from sliding on the counter.
We used to recommend plastic Prepworks cutting boards, but we no longer recommend it because it will warp. Initially, we liked Prepworks board because it is cheap and made of low-density polyethylene (a softer material than the OXO board we recommend), so it feels great under the knife. But it also loses points because it is significantly smaller than the OXO board and lacks rubber feet to maintain stability.
The Williams-Sonoma non-slip cutting board has the same gripping sides as the OXO, but our testers said it is too small. Sam Sifton said of the Williams-Sonoma board of directors: "It's too little. What's the use of making hamsters?"
Oneida's Colors 16-inch cutting board has rubber handles at both ends, which is a good size, but it does not have a juice slot. We found that its large handle hole allows juice to drip onto the counter.
The Dexas 14 x 17-inch pastry super board feels smooth under a sharp knife, and the surface has a rough texture to prevent food from slipping off. Its midnight granite color hides knife marks and stains, but even if there is a wet towel underneath, the board will slide. It was also distorted in our tests.
Like our recommended OXO board, KitchenIQ polypropylene cutting board has a gripping material that runs around the perimeter of the board and the juice tank. However, it was severely deformed after unpacking, and it became worse after repeated washing in the dishwasher.
Williams-Sonoma offers unique antibacterial cutting boards. It has a good size of 16 x 12 inches, and has a microban-like microbial protection in the plastic. Its texture is similar to Prepworks, even if it's not very catchy, and its knife feel is better than most boards we fired. But its large, smooth 11 teaspoons (less than 4 tablespoons) juice tank releases liquid more easily than OXO, and its handle is barely indented to make it redundant.
We like the anti-grip and surface texture on the Dexas Granite Grippboard, but it is too small to hold half of a diced onion. After running in the dishwasher, it also has dark orange/red stains and slightly warped.
The 15×20 cutting board company’s plastic board has no grooves or any other prominent features. It feels good to cut the onion, the carrot cuts a bit louder, and a very sharp knife left shallow scratches on the surface. However, if you push it slightly on the counter, the board will slide anywhere.
The surface of the Stanton Trading Company's board is very soft. A serrated knife left a very deep scar on this board.
IKEA's Legitim cutting board is too small. In addition, since it is only a quarter of an inch thin, you can bend it by hand. Our knife left a fatal gouge mark in it.
We chose not to test the Fifty-two bamboo cutting board from Food52 because its size is 13 x 18 inches and 1 inch thick, which is smaller and thinner than our recommended teak Proteak board, with a size of 15 x 20 x 1.5 inches. In addition, after years of testing on cutting boards, we found that the blade of bamboo is very hard and tends to break easily over time. The most notable feature of the Fifty Two Board is that its slot allows your phone to stand upright, so you can follow the recipe while cooking. However, unless you are willing to clean your phone full of bacteria before and after placing it on the board, we strongly recommend keeping it away from any surface where you prepare food. Besides being unsanitary, who wants their expensive equipment to be splashed with gravy and other cooking liquids? We also foresee that the phone slot is an ideal place for food and cleaning troubles.
Boos' reversible maple plank is our previous plank choice. It feels good under the knife, and there is almost no back-slip (considering the 18-pound weight of the board). But this board requires more maintenance than Proteak. After one year of use, it showed a small crack in the handle and formed a brightened circle near the center of the board, even if it was frequently oiled.
The first version of this guide recommends using a 15-inch Boos Chop-N-Slice board. After seeing Amazon’s reviews of the board showing a downward trend and learning more about how the wood dries, cracks and cracks, we now recommend slightly thicker boards made of more forgiving materials.
Brooklyn Butcher Block’s 12 x 18 telomere cherry board perfectly illustrates the trade-off between telomere panels and edge grain. Its offset brickwork style pattern looks beautiful, it stays in place, it feels good to slice and dice on this board. After several weeks of testing, the board looked almost intact. In other words, after several washings, it still does not lose the beet stains, and its sides are more likely to dry out than other boards. For those willing to take care of it, this expensive plank may be worth the money, but we think the appearance and cutting effect of Brooklyn's long grain (edge) plank are similar, and the price is only about half of it.
The Walnut Edge Textured Board of Brooklyn Butcher Block is a very dark and rich-looking board, but in our onion slicing test, it feels that it is often scratched and needs as much oil and moisture resistance as other wooden picks. Otherwise, it performs quite well. We think it is not as good value for money as Proteak.
We like the feel of our knife under the Shun Hinoki cutting board made of very forgiving Japanese cypress. But it needs to be moistened before cutting. Even so, we found that it absorbed the smell. It also has serious scars; the serrated knife will cut off the board. We think this is too expensive to maintain for most people.
The 18 x 12 inch Michigan Maple Block board we tested was nowhere near as complete as shown in the online image. After being thoroughly oiled twice with board frost, the surface of the board still feels like freshly sawn wood. This may be why, months after our beet staining test, after two attempts to wipe off the stain with lemon and kosher salt paste, the Michigan maple plank still looks like evidence in the (vegetable) murder case.
The FSC teak small rectangular cutting board with Well is too small and thin. In our tests, it was also heavily stained and retained its odor.
Madeira Home Furnishing Ecological Teak Carving Board is dyed along the juice trough, although not as bad as the FSC board we tested above. Without putting a wet towel under this board, it slides on the counter more often than our first choice.
Madeira Housewares Mario Batali Collection Plantation Teak Edge Grain L Carving Board is thinner than we hoped. In our test, it soiled the juicing tube with beet juice. After many washings, the surface of the board still retained a strong smell of garlic.
We chose not to test the Madeira Teak Edge-Grain board because it is thinner than our large plank pickaxe and it is not as widely available. However, if you are looking for a larger board that is lighter than our current selection, this is a good choice.
Bengston Woodworks sent us sample cubes of their end-grain boards. We couldn't pass all the tests of other circuit boards, but its artistic patchwork appearance attracted the attention and praise of those who discovered it. If you really want to create a home base for food preparation at home and can take care of it wholeheartedly, then it is best to order a plank from Bengston or Brooklyn Butcher Block.
We tried some composite boards, including three Epicurean boards: a nutmeg brown 15 x 11 inch kitchen board, a natural color 8 x 6 kitchen board, and a 15 x 20 inch gourmet series slate core. We also tested a 15 x 10 inch board from the family business The Adventuresome Kitchen. In general, we found that they are too difficult for kitchen knives, and our experts agree. Buffalo chef Michael Dimmer said they "feel like nails on a blackboard...too hard."
We considered some rubber cutting boards, the most famous is the Sani-tuff rubber mat, which is a favorite of chefs and knives lovers. But because these mats are very heavy and sometimes only available through professional suppliers, and they are almost always in hospital beige, we think they are not suitable for most home cooks, so we chose not to test.
The Premium Bamboo surface we tested really felt like we were sharpening our blade. Picking up small onions with fingers is difficult because the surface feels dry and scratches our fingertips. The unfinished juice tank is particularly unpleasant. Its 8 teaspoons of liquid can easily leak if it is tilted slightly.
Abrishami, SH, Tall, BD, Bruursema, TJ, Epstein, PS and Shah, DB, Bacterial adhesion and viability on cutting board surfaces, Journal of Food Safety
Cutting board cleanup, Cook's illustration
Chad Ward, Edge of the Kitchen, phone interview and email follow-up, May 21, 2015
Eva Haviarova, Associate Professor of Wood Products, Purdue University Wood Research Laboratory, telephone interview, December 14, 2014
Brian Brashaw, former project director of the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Minnesota-Duluth (now project manager of the Forest Products Laboratory of the US Forest Service), telephone interview, January 5, 2015
Doug Gardner, Professor of Forest Operations, Bioproducts and Bioenergy, University of Maine, telephone interview, December 18, 2014
Jennifer Boye, former chef of the Delaware Building and chef Nickel City (now the executive chef of Elm Street Bakery), face-to-face interview, March 3, 2015
Michael Dimmer, chef of Marble + Rye, face-to-face interview, February 5, 2015
On February 27, 2015, a face-to-face interview with Seabar's former sushi chef Ken Legnon (now the executive chef of Yoshi Sushi Bar and Eatery)
Comparison of LDPE characteristics: PP and HDPE: PP Polymer Blends, Canadian Science and Education Center
Prevent wooden chopping boards from cracking, Cook's country (subscription required)
Since 2016, Michael Sullivan has been a contributing writer for the Wirecutter kitchen team. Previously, he was an editor at the International Culinary Center in New York. He has worked in all aspects of the food and catering industry for more than ten years.
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